What is a doctor blade?

Doctor blades are utilised in the print industry. They are an essential component which ensure a quality finish, conserve ink and protect delicate, essential parts of your printing setup.

Doctor blades are used by 2 methods in particular. Rotogravure (gravure), and Flexographic (flexo) printing. The doctor blade meters (controls) the amount of liquid ink that is deposited on a printing cylinder.

The word doctor is thought to come from Germany, where it was first called a “ductor blade”, which means to draw across a surface.

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